[valkyrieanne]

How to Lie with Statistics.

[1rudeboy]

The presidential proposition . . .

Those editors sure are good with them words [sic].

[Moonman62]

All jobs are service jobs. Employees provide a service to their employers, which has a market value. Judging jobs by the nature of their output is a marxist concept.

[DoughtyOne]

I heard this the other day on John and Ken. Willie, if we only knew the truth of it, I'll bet this tactic has been used broadly in the last ten years. There's simply no way the manufacturing numbers are not being misrepresented. They actually show an increase in numbers. If anyone is buying that, I've got some great Florida bottom-land I'd love to move.

[Happy2BMe]

"Since George W. Bush became president the economy has lost 2.8 million factory jobs, but his administration is floating an idea that could dramatically boost manufacturing jobs overnight. It sounds too good to be true. And it is."

There's that word again - JOBS.

[Yasotay]

I will always remember Bush saying on "Cinco de Mayo" that he only wants "gooderer" service jobs in America .....

[Chi-townChief]

I had a poster (from Modern Material Handling or Production Magazine, I think) about twenty-five years ago on my wall at work that showed a Big Mac and asked "Is this the future of American manufacturing?" I don't know what I did with it and wish I could find it.

[irv]

"When a fast-food restaurant sells a hamburger, for example," the report asks, "is it providing a 'service' or is it combining inputs to 'manufacture a product?' "

Actually, when you put it that way, it sort of makes sense. And in a world where a jar of urine with a crucifix floating in it is classified as art, why shouldn't we classify fast food as manufacturing?

[petercooper]

and yet the unemployment rate remains 5.6%

[Tricorn]

I've heard all about these burger-flipping jobs. Here's my question, though: Doesn't somebody have to buy the burger? Who are the burger-flippers selling burgers to -- other burger-flippers?

[TheSpottedOwl]

I just love weasel words. Fast food jobs were traditionally held by students, retirees, and housewifes. They were never intended to support a family, unlike a manufacturing position.

[Iscool]

One they missed...When the prez puts his name on a piece of paper other than an autograph, guess he must be Manufacturing a Document...

But then that would have to be a blue collar job...Oh well, works for me...

[Smartass]

I'm really taken aback. Geeesss, after twenty five years of manufacturing jobs going to Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, China and every other nickle an hour slave labor country, people are finally waking up to the fact that we're not producing much. When Americans refuse low pay jobs in place of welfare, what can we expect.

[Dave S]

Willie when are you going to get a job and quit bitching about the economy? My personal economy is pretty damn great these days. Yours might be to if you focused on the positive and what you can do rather than on how its impossible for the middle class to make a living these days.

[Larry Lucido]

Sorry, but burger flipping isn't manufacturing

The Build-a-burger family would disagree.

[John Lenin]

Hey Willie the Nader campaign is looking for you. Chump!

[applemac_g4]

>The presidential proposition wouldn't actually create any new
>jobs but would reclassify them and thereby swell job
>statistics in a declining sector of the economy. Poof!
>Problem solved.
>Incredible as it seems, the Bush administration is pointedly
>questioning whether flipping hamburgers should be included in
>jobs associated with factory work or remain classified as
>part of the service sector.

You have got to be kidding me. Is Bush deliberately trying to lose this election?

[neutrino]

Bankruptcy filings set record

March 13, 2004

One out of every 73 U.S. households filed for bankruptcy last year, a record high, despite historically low interest rates, the American Bankruptcy Institute said.

"Despite enjoying the sustained benefit of low interest rates, growing numbers of U.S. consumers are facing difficulty in meeting their monthly obligations," ABI Executive Director Samuel Gerdano said.

U.S. households had $10.4 trillion in debt outstanding at the end of last year, although debt accumulation slowed toward year's end, according to data from the Federal Reserve.

Last month, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts said there were 1,660,245 personal bankruptcies last year. It was a record for any calendar year, but off slightly from the all-time 12-month high reached in the period ended in September.

Reuters

link

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Offshoring is making us rich, rich, rich! Unemployment is down! Pay no attention to those bankruptcies behind the curtain!